Moving to a new country can be intimidating, especially if you hardly know anyone and don’t speak the language. If you came to the UK on a fiancé, family, or spouse visa, and are over 18 and under 65, you are going to have to pass an English exam in speaking and listening.

For many, the thought of taking an exam in a foreign language can be scary. However, apart from it being a legal requirement, learning English is also part of the important step of successfully settling into your new life in a new country.

Being able to communicate in basic English means that you’ll be able to go to the shops on your own, go to the doctor, talk to your new family (some of whom might not speak your native tongue), and help you to meet people and feel part of your new community.

The English Speaking & Listening exam may also be the first exam some people ever take in a foreign language. It may seem like a massive hurdle if you don’t have the tools to get you started on your journey to speaking English.

The team at LanguageCert, the Awarding Organisation that offers Home Office approved, Ofqual regulated English language exams for UK visas and immigration, has shared some top tips to take the worry out of studying, preparation, and taking these vital exams so that you may feel confident that you will successfully pass the exam.

1. Make a timetable. If you know you have to take and pass your exam by a certain date, make a plan to start studying well in advance. Set aside a certain amount of time each day when you are going to work on the skills you need. Don’t put yourself under pressure to study for hours every day but preparing for the exam in bite-size chunks of time will seem less intimidating.
2. Do your homework. LanguageCert has some fantastic videos that will walk you through the preparation and exam process step by step and help you understand the kind of questions you will be asked, as well as the meaning of those questions.
3. Try and immerse yourself in English. Watch T.V., listen to the radio, and look at newspapers. These are fun activities to help you prepare for the exams and you’ll start recognising words and meanings. Most importantly, get the people around you to speak to you in English so you can become familiar with the type of simple phrases that you will need to learn.
4. Practice, practice, practice. You can never prepare too much, and the more you practice the more confident you will feel in the exam.
5. Remember to enrol for the exam on selt.languagecert.org or through our Approved SELT partners and find a convenient SELT Test Point near you. There are 15 SELT Test Points in the UK and all on good transport routes near most major cities.
6. Make sure you know how to get to the exam centre. Do a trial run and arrive in good time. Go for a walk before to calm your nerves if you need to, and take your partner or a family member to support you if you can. And, of course, “good luck”.

Andrew Harrison, Business Development Manager of LanguageCert, says: “LanguageCert offers a fresh approach to the SELT exams, and our goal is to make the process as simple as possible for everyone by supporting candidates with as much information as possible to help get them through the A1 Speaking & Listening exam. There are other advantages in taking your A1 Speaking & Listening exam with us giving you the reassurance that you are in a safe pair of hands."

• Our exams are high-quality, reliable, and developed to the most rigorous standards.
• We issue super-fast results (preliminary results shortly after the completion of the exam & official results in just 3 business days.
• We offer flexible and innovative exam administration technologies and systems – focused on making the user experience as easy as possible.
• We are recognised worldwide by official authorities, organisations, and Higher Education Institutions globally.